Chelsea Round-Up, Tuesday 10th November: Women Held to Goalless Draw by Hacken as Transfer Talk Swirls Around Gusto, Colwill and Zubimendi
Chelsea Women were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw away to BK Häcken in the Women's Champions League on Tuesday evening, with the Blues unable to find a breakthrough in Sweden (ESPN) (We Ain't Got No History) (BBC Sport). The result means Chelsea remain unbeaten in the group stage, picking up another point to add to their tally from three previous outings, though BBC Sport note it was Häcken who will be pleased to claim their second point of the campaign (We Ain't Got No History) (BBC Sport). Before kick-off, Nathalie Bjorn had warned that the trip to face the newly-crowned Swedish champions would be "no walk in the park" (ChelseaFC.com), while Football.London's sister site We Ain't Got No History reported that Chelsea peppered the Häcken goal with over two dozen shots without finding a way through (We Ain't Got No History). Chelsea named a confirmed starting line-up for the match (ChelseaFC.com).
On the men's side, the fallout from Sunderland's 1-0 win over Chelsea continues to dominate the agenda. Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson says Chelsea simply aren't showing the consistency required to secure Champions League football this season under Xabi Alonso (Sky Sports), while We Ain't Got No History's player ratings praised goalkeeper Mike Penders, who continued his recent good form between the posts (We Ain't Got No History). Football.London report that Penders himself offered an honest assessment of Alonso's tactics after the defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland (Football.London). Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has reportedly told his old team-mate Alonso to make three specific signings and has also issued instructions regarding Chelsea's defenders following the Sunderland loss (Football.London). Elsewhere, Football.London claim Chelsea met Cole Palmer's transfer demand in the summer but that Alonso has been left short as a result (Football.London), while Alonso has also been criticised for leaving Estevao Willian on the bench at Sunderland having impressed the weekend before against Manchester United (Football.London). Chelsea legend Gus Poyet, speaking exclusively to Sports Mole, has questioned Alonso's decision not to start a 22-year-old more regularly amid his injury situation (Sports Mole).
There's also a Brazil angle to the Estevao story, with national team boss Carlo Ancelotti reportedly telling the winger what will happen if he fails to earn minutes at Stamford Bridge (Sports Mole). Meanwhile, Joao Pedro, who has been out since mid-October, has found himself unexpectedly at the centre of a row involving Fantasy Premier League after speculation around his injury (Sports Mole), and BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella reveals that Chelsea have had to warn staff about revealing team news through their own FPL team selections (BBC Sport).
On the transfer front it's a busy evening of reports. The Sun claim Chelsea are lining up a January move for Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi after missing out on him for Xabi Alonso in the summer, with the midfield seen as an area needing reinforcement following Enzo Fernandez's move to Manchester City (The Sun). Malo Gusto is also said to be a target, with The Sun reporting interest from Ruben Amorim and Cesc Fabregas's Como (The Sun). Sports Mole say a Chelsea defender is prepared to leave in January, with seven suitors including Manchester City and Liverpool already credited with interest (Sports Mole). On the other side of the ledger, Football365 and TeamTalk both report that Chelsea are pushing ahead with plans to tie down Levi Colwill and fend off a reported £75m Barcelona approach (Football365) (TeamTalk). Sports Mole also note interest in Lens teenager Kyllian Antonio, who is reportedly being chased by Chelsea and PSG, with Lens having set a high asking price (Sports Mole), while a 17-year-old wonderkid linked with Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal has dropped a hint about a possible January move (Sports Mole).
Elsewhere, speculation continues over Mauricio Pochettino's future, with reports naming him favourite to become the next Manchester United manager prompting reaction from both Chelsea and Tottenham fans (Evening Standard), and the Evening Standard noting Cole Palmer has already offered his own verdict on the situation amid the reported £90m transfer theory (Evening Standard). Football365 also report doubts over Alejandro Garnacho's future at Aston Villa, with suggestions the Chelsea outcast "might be finished" there and that Villa could back out of making his move permanent (Football365).
Away from the pitch, Chelsea's official site have published a feature on Romeo Lavia discussing his football firsts (ChelseaFC.com).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
